Per capita methane emissions by sector in New Zealand
New Zealand: Per capita methane emissions by sector was 133.39 kilograms per person in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
133.39 kilograms per person
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
65th
of 193 countries
All-time high
313.48 kilograms per person
in 2001
All-time low
132.51 kilograms per person
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Per capita methane emissions by sector in New Zealand, 1990–2023
Source: Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in kilograms per person.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 133.39 kilograms per person for per capita methane emissions by sector in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 48.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, per capita methane emissions by sector in New Zealand peaked at 313.48 kilograms per person in 2001 and was at its lowest, 132.51 kilograms per person, in 2022.
New Zealand ranks 65th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Per capita methane emissions by sector in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | kilograms per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 262 kilograms per person | — |
| 1991 | 278.66 kilograms per person | +6.4% |
| 1992 | 285.94 kilograms per person | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 293.82 kilograms per person | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 265.12 kilograms per person | -9.8% |
| 1995 | 266.71 kilograms per person | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 294.95 kilograms per person | +10.6% |
| 1997 | 307.13 kilograms per person | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 267.62 kilograms per person | -12.9% |
| 1999 | 284.18 kilograms per person | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 290.34 kilograms per person | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 313.48 kilograms per person | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 311.3 kilograms per person | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 268.48 kilograms per person | -13.8% |
| 2004 | 254.66 kilograms per person | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 239.42 kilograms per person | -6.0% |
| 2006 | 251.08 kilograms per person | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 267.56 kilograms per person | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 283.92 kilograms per person | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 271.82 kilograms per person | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 285.2 kilograms per person | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 262.39 kilograms per person | -8.0% |
| 2012 | 258.4 kilograms per person | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 258.2 kilograms per person | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 252.05 kilograms per person | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 231.9 kilograms per person | -8.0% |
| 2016 | 214.22 kilograms per person | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 203.63 kilograms per person | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 179.56 kilograms per person | -11.8% |
| 2019 | 168.36 kilograms per person | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 157.79 kilograms per person | -6.3% |
| 2021 | 142.92 kilograms per person | -9.4% |
| 2022 | 132.51 kilograms per person | -7.3% |
| 2023 | 133.39 kilograms per person | +0.7% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 133.39 kilograms per person is above the median for high income countries, which is 45.5 kilograms per person, 2.9× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 133.39 kilograms per person is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.97 kilograms per person, 16.7× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 280.61 kilograms per person | 262 kilograms per person | 307.13 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 275.21 kilograms per person | 239.42 kilograms per person | 313.48 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 231.39 kilograms per person | 168.36 kilograms per person | 285.2 kilograms per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 141.65 kilograms per person | 132.51 kilograms per person | 157.79 kilograms per person | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
More climate change data for New Zealand
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 113.13 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 46,323 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 34,340 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 45.22 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,226 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 694.4 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 691.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 3.2 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 2.61 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is per capita methane emissions by sector in New Zealand?
- Per capita methane emissions by sector in New Zealand was 133.39 kilograms per person in 2023, according to Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest per capita methane emissions by sector recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 313.48 kilograms per person in 2001.
- What is the lowest per capita methane emissions by sector recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 132.51 kilograms per person in 2022.
- How does New Zealand rank for per capita methane emissions by sector?
- New Zealand ranks 65th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is per capita methane emissions by sector rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Climate Watch (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Per capita methane emissions by sector. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Emissions are measured in kilograms of carbon dioxide-equivalents per person.